# Windows Explorer: Default arrangement of files is now by date instead of by name **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 14, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990 "2006-01-14T20:16:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/1 "2006-01-14T20:16:31Z")
For some mysterious reason, now whenever I go to open or save a file, the default arrangement of files and folders is by Date Modified, when it should be just alphabetical. This is just in the small version of explorer that pops up when you go to “Save as…” or “Open…”, not in the actual explorer where you can go through folders and move or edit them (those folder properties are still normal). How can I get it back to normal? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/2 "2006-01-14T20:20:12Z")
Click on the column header you want to sort by until it’s in the order you want. ---
**Author:** ![Cillasi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Cillasi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cillasi)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/3 "2006-01-14T20:23:01Z")
When you go to your “save as” screen, the last little icon across the top of the “save in” line should be “commands and settings.” It has a red check mark on it. Choose the “sorting” option within that menu. That’s where you change the list display settings. > [@Yumblie](#): > > For some mysterious reason, now whenever I go to open or save a file, the default arrangement of files and folders is by Date Modified, when it should be just alphabetical. This is just in the small version of explorer that pops up when you go to “Save as…” or “Open…”, not in the actual explorer where you can go through folders and move or edit them (those folder properties are still normal). How can I get it back to normal? ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [January 14, 2006, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/4 "2006-01-14T23:35:07Z")
The only icons I have up there are Go to Last Folder Visited, Create New Folder, Up One Folder, and View Menu (which asks if I want to view the files as thumbnails, list, icons, etc), I don’t see a “Commands and settings” button. Also, I can of course manually set it to list by name each time I open it, but I’d have to do that within each new folder and it wouldn’t be permanent. For some reason the default mode of listing is by date. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/5 "2006-01-15T13:06:18Z")
In that view menu you can select details, which gives you the columns Mr Blue Sky mentions. Click the columns to get the items ordered as you wish. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/6 "2006-01-15T17:25:01Z")
> [@hawthorne](#): > > In that view menu you can select details, which gives you the columns Mr Blue Sky mentions. Click the columns to get the items ordered as you wish. Right, I know how to reorder the files in any way I choose. The problem is that once I close out, it reverts back to organizing it by date automatically, no matter what I manually set it to before. It does this for every folder I browse from. This isn’t a huge problem but it’s still annoying. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2006, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/7 "2006-01-15T21:51:47Z")
A similar thing happened to me on Win98. I never could figure out how it occurred or how to change it. I’ve just been living with it. I’d like to get a solution, too. ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/8 "2006-01-16T00:46:02Z")
Try [this thread](http://www.annoyances.org/exec/forum/win98/t1072820094). At worst, it looks like you shoiuld be able to set Explorer back to its defaults. ---
**Author:** ![proghead7772003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@proghead7772003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/proghead7772003)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/9 "2006-01-16T01:49:55Z")
> [@Yumblie](#): > > Right, I know how to reorder the files in any way I choose. The problem is that once I close out, it reverts back to organizing it by date automatically, no matter what I manually set it to before. It does this for every folder I browse from. > > This isn’t a huge problem but it’s still annoying. I personally don’t know if this works because I’ve never had the problem you describe, but try this: set how you want your files to be organized and then hold down the ctrl key while you close the folder. ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/10 "2006-01-16T02:38:41Z")
Open Explorer. Arrange the folders how you want them - sorted by date/file type/alpha, with details/no details, ect. In the tool bar in Explorer click “tools” then “folder options”. In “Folder Options” click the “view” tab. At the top of this is an option called “folder views”. This will make all folders have the same settings as what you just defined. Click “Apply to all folders” And,. there you go. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/11 "2006-01-16T02:39:38Z")
Here’s a couple of things you can try. Although it’s done via Windows Explorer, I have experimented and it seems to affect Open/Save As boxes as well. Go into My Computer or Windows Explorer, select ‘Tools|Folder Options’, select the ‘View’ tab, and click ‘Reset All Folders’. If this doesn’t work, go back to My Computer/Windows Explorer, browse to any folder, and set it up the way you want to always see your folders (probably by selecting ‘View|Details’ and clicking the ‘Name’ column). Select ‘Tools|Folder Options’, select the ‘View’ tab, and click ‘Apply to All Folders’. Incidentally, even people without the OP’s problem may find my last suggestion handy, because it forces folders to open in details mode all the time, instead of the space-wasting tiles mode. ---
**Author:** ![Mbossa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/73ab20/32.png) [@Mbossa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mbossa)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/12 "2006-01-16T02:41:01Z")
Or you could always do what **Seven** said… ---
**Author:** ![Seven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Seven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seven)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/13 "2006-01-16T02:43:08Z")
Mbossa: Beat you by one minute. 😃 That was as close as I’ve come to a simulpost yet. ---
**Author:** ![Yumblie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/76d3ee/32.png) [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2006, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/windows-explorer-default-arrangement-of-files-is-now-by-date-instead-of-by-name/339990/14 "2006-01-16T03:28:54Z")
Ok, the “Apply to all folders” thing worked. That’s a relief. Thanks! I’m still a little mystified about how this happened, but oh well.